Vehicle system and vibration generating device

Abstract

A vehicle system that presents vibration or sound at a detected position is provided. The vehicle system includes: a seat of the vehicle; and a first vibration generating device provided on the seat. The first vibration generating device has: a first housing; a first vibration plate supported by the first housing; a first actuator mounted on at least one of the first housing and the first vibration plate; and a first sensor having a first detection electrode that detects the approach of a seated person to the first detection electrode, and the first vibration plate and the first detection electrode are the same component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle system and a vibration generating device. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a vehicle operation unit includes: a thin film diaphragm disposed at least in the front of the vehicle interior; an operation unit integrated with or disposed close to and overlapping the thin film diaphragm and operated by a passenger's touch; and a detection mechanism that detects the operation of the operation unit. In such a vehicle operation unit, when the operation of the operation unit is detected by the detection mechanism, a confirmation vibration for notifying the passenger that the operation has been received is performed by vibrating at least the area of the operation unit of the thin film diaphragm, and when an audio signal is input, an audio output is performed by vibrating the thin film diaphragm (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-007919 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, in the conventional vehicle operation unit, since the thin film diaphragm and the detection mechanism are separate, vibration or sound cannot be presented at the position where the detection is performed.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle system and a vibration generating device that can present vibration or sound at the position where the detection is performed.

[0009] Means for Solving the Technical Problem

[0010] A vehicle system according to one aspect includes: a seat of a vehicle; and a first vibration generating device disposed on the seat. The first vibration generating device includes: a first housing; a first diaphragm supported by the first housing; a first actuator mounted on at least one of the first housing and the first diaphragm; and a first sensor having a first detection electrode that detects the approach of a seated person to the first detection electrode, wherein the first diaphragm and the first detection electrode are the same component.

[0011] A vibration generating device according to one aspect is a vibration generating device disposed on a seat of a vehicle and includes: a housing; a diaphragm supported by the housing; an actuator mounted on at least one of the housing and the diaphragm; and a sensor having a detection electrode that detects the approach to the detection electrode, wherein the diaphragm and the detection electrode are the same component.

[0012] Advantages of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, a vehicle system and a vibration generating device capable of presenting vibration or sound at a detected position can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a view showing the interior of the vehicle 10.

[0015] Figure 2 It is a view showing the structure of the vehicle system 300.

[0016] Figure 3 It is a view showing the structure of the vibration generating device 200.

[0017] Figure 4 It is a view showing the structure of the vibration generating device 200.

[0018] Figure 5 It is a view showing the structure of the vibration generating device 200.

[0019] Figure 6 It is a top view showing the structure of the actuator 220.

[0020] Figure 7 It is from Figure 6 A top view after removing the movable yoke and the permanent magnet.

[0021] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the actuator 220.

[0022] Figure 9 It is a view showing the relationship between the direction of the current and the direction of movement of the first combination.

[0023] Figure 10 It is a view showing the relationship between the direction of the current and the direction of movement of the second combination.

[0024] Figure 11 It is a view showing the relationship between the direction of the current and the direction of movement of the third combination.

[0025] Figure 12 It is a view showing the relationship between the direction of the current and the direction of movement of the fourth combination.

[0026] Figure 13A It is a view for explaining the non-contact state.

[0027] Figure 13B It is a view for explaining the close contact state.

[0028] Figure 13C It is a view for explaining the contact state.

[0029] Figure 14AThis is a diagram illustrating the generation of vibrations or sounds by the vibration generating device 200.

[0030] Figure 14B This is a diagram illustrating the generation of vibrations or sounds by the vibration generating device 200.

[0031] Figure 14C This is a diagram illustrating the generation of vibrations or sounds by the vibration generating device 200.

[0032] Figure 15 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing executed by the control unit 322.

[0033] Figure 16A This is a diagram showing the vibration generating device 200D which is a modification example of the embodiment.

[0034] Figure 16B This is a diagram showing the vibration generating device 200E which is a modification example of the embodiment.

[0035] Figure 17A This is a diagram showing the vibration generating device 200M1.

[0036] Figure 17B This is a diagram showing the vibration generating device 200M2.

[0037] Figure 18A This is a diagram showing the vibration generating device 200M3.

[0038] Figure 18B This is a diagram showing the vibration generating device 200M4.

[0039] Figure 18C This is a diagram showing the vibration generating device 200M4. Detailed Embodiment

[0040] Hereinafter, embodiments of the vehicle system and the vibration generating device to which the present invention is applied will be described.

[0041] <Embodiment>

[0042] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the interior of the vehicle 10. A seat 11 is disposed inside the vehicle 10. The seat 11 has a backrest (seat back) 11A and a seat portion (seat cushion) 11B. The backrest 11A and the seat portion 11B are covered with a seat fabric 11C. In the present embodiment, an example in which the seat 11 is the driver's seat is described, but the seat 11 may be any seat provided in the vehicle 10, for example, it may be the passenger seat or the rear seat.

[0043] The vehicle system 300 of the present embodiment is mounted on the vehicle 10. The vehicle system 300 includes a vehicle seat system 300A and a controller 320. The vehicle seat system 300A includes a seat 11 and a vibration generating device 200 (200A, 200B, 200C). Since the vibration generating devices 200A, 200B, and 200C have the same structure, they are simply referred to as the vibration generating device 200 without special distinction.

[0044] As an example, six vibration generating devices 200A and three vibration generating devices 200C are built into the backrest 11A, and six vibration generating devices 200B are built into the seat part 11B. Among the nine vibration generating devices 200 arranged in three rows in the vertical direction and three in the horizontal direction in the backrest 11A, six vibration generating devices 200A are arranged in the middle and lower sections (the lowermost section). Three vibration generating devices 200C are arranged in the uppermost section of the six backrests 11A. That is, the vibration generating device 200C is provided in an area of the backrest 11A that is above the area where the vibration generating device 200A is provided.

[0045] The vibration generating device 200A is an example of the first vibration generating device, the vibration generating device 200B is an example of the second vibration generating device, and the vibration generating device 200C is an example of the third vibration generating device. The area of the backrest 11A where the vibration generating device 200A is arranged is the first area 11A1, and the area where the vibration generating device 200C is arranged is the second area 11A2.

[0046] The vibration generating device 200 (200A, 200B, 200C) is a device that is driven by the controller 320 to generate vibration or sound when a specified notification condition is satisfied. All the vibration generating devices 200 are connected to the controller 320 via a communication cable, and are driven and controlled by the controller 320. The controller 320 is arranged inside the instrument panel as an example. The communication cable is a communication cable with a specification such as CAN (Controller Area Network) as an example. In addition, the communication between the vibration generating device 200 and the controller 320 is not limited to wired communication via a communication cable, and can also be wireless communication.

[0047] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing the structure of the vehicle system 300. In Figure 2 the seat 11 is omitted, and both the planar structure and the cross-sectional structure of the vibration generating device 200 are shown. Figure 2 The cross-sectional structure of the vibration generating device 200 shown is a cross-section obtained along a plane passing through the center of the circular vibration generating device 200 in a top view.

[0048] The vibration generating device 200 and the controller 320 are connected via a communication cable 330A, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 12 is connected to the controller 320 via a communication cable 330B. In Figure 2 one vibration generating device 200 is shown, but actually a plurality of vibration generating devices 200 are connected to the controller 320 via a plurality of communication cables 330A.

[0049] In Figure 2 the vibration generating device 200 is shown in a simplified manner, but the vibration generating device 200 has an actuator 220, a diaphragm 240, and a housing 260 as main components. The actuator 220 is disposed inside the housing 260, and the diaphragm 240 is provided on the upper part of the housing 260.

[0050] Figure 1 The actuator 220, the diaphragm 240, and the housing 260 of the vibration generating device 200A shown are examples of a first actuator, a first diaphragm, and a first housing, respectively. In addition, Figure 1 the diaphragm 240 of the vibration generating device 200A shown is also an example of a first detection electrode of a first sensor. Figure 1 The actuator 220, the diaphragm 240, and the housing 260 of the vibration generating device 200B shown are examples of a second actuator, a second diaphragm, and a second housing, respectively. Figure 1 The diaphragm 240 of the vibration generating device 200B shown is also an example of a second detection electrode of a second sensor. Figure 1 The actuator 220, the diaphragm 240, and the housing 260 of the vibration generating device 200C shown are examples of a third actuator, a third diaphragm, and a third housing, respectively. Figure 1 The diaphragm 240 of the vibration generating device 200C shown is also an example of a third detection electrode of a third sensor.

[0051] The diaphragm 240 is a thin plate including a conductor, for example, made of a metal such as aluminum. If the actuator 220 of the vibration generating device 200 is driven, the diaphragm 240 vibrates according to the drive of the actuator 220, thereby vibrating the surrounding air to generate sound. That is, the diaphragm 240 operates like the diaphragm of a speaker. In addition, the diaphragm 240 is also a detection electrode of a sensor such as an electrostatic capacitance sensor of the self-capacitance method. If the electrostatic capacitance between the diaphragm 240 and the human body changes when a human body approaches the diaphragm 240, the controller 320 determines whether the seated person is in close contact with the seat 11 or the like. Thus, the diaphragm 240 also serves as a detection electrode of the sensor. In other words, the diaphragm 240 and the detection electrode of the sensor are the same component. In addition, here the sensor is realized by the diaphragm 240 as the detection electrode, but it may also be a structure including components other than the diaphragm 240 as the detection electrode.

[0052] The vibration generating device 200 is driven and controlled by the controller 320 to generate vibration or sound. More specifically, the vibration generated by driving the actuator 220 is transmitted to the housing 260, and the housing 260 vibrates the seat 11. In addition, the vibration generated by driving the actuator 220 is transmitted to the diaphragm 240, and the surrounding air vibrates due to the vibration of the diaphragm 240 to generate sound.

[0053] The controller 320 drives the vibration generating device 200 when receiving a notification indicating that a specified notification condition has been satisfied from the ECU 12. The specified notification condition is, for example, a condition required to issue an alarm to the seated person or the like. Specifically, for example, when the ECU 12 issues an alarm corresponding to lane departure or speeding or the like, it is only necessary to notify the controller 320 that the specified notification condition is satisfied. In addition, it may be premised on the following state that the ECU 12 determines whether the specified notification condition is satisfied and then notifies the controller 320 that the specified notification condition is satisfied. The above state is: a state in which the user of the vehicle is detected as seated by a seat sensor or the like, or a state in which the ignition switch is turned on if the seat 11 is a driver's seat. In addition, the details of the vibration generating device 200 are described Figures 3 to 12 later.

[0054] In addition, a cover 310 is installed on the vibration generating device 200. The cover 310 is included in the vehicle seat system 300A together with the seat 11 and the vibration generating device 200 (see Figure 1 ). The cover 310 is installed on the surface of the vibration generating device 200 and has an annular frame 311 and a net portion 312. The net portion 312 is installed on the frame 311 and has a plurality of holes arranged flatly. The holes of the net portion 312 communicate the two sides of the cover 310.

[0055] The cover 310 is disposed inside a net-like or other opening provided in the seat fabric 11C of the seat 11 to protect the vibration generating device 200. By mounting the vibration generating device 200 on the back surface of the seat fabric 11C via the cover 310, even if pressed from the front side of the seat fabric 11C by the seated person, it is possible to prevent the seat fabric 11C from contacting the vibration plate 240. Therefore, the vibration of the vibration plate 240 is not blocked, and good sound can be generated.

[0056] The controller 320 includes a determination unit 321, a control unit 322, and a memory 323. The controller 320 is implemented by a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an input / output interface, and an internal bus, etc. The determination unit 321 and the control unit 322 are components obtained by expressing the functions of the program executed by the controller 320 as functional blocks. In addition, the memory 323 is a component obtained by functionally representing the memory of the controller 320.

[0057] The determination unit 321 determines whether the seated person is in close contact with the seat 11 based on the output of the vibration plate 240 which is a sensor of the vibration generating device 200. For example, when the vibration plate 240 is a detection electrode of a capacitance sensor, the determination unit 321 determines that the seated person is in close contact with the seat 11 based on the change in the capacitance of the vibration plate 240. Regarding the method by which the determination unit 321 determines whether the seated person is in close contact with the seat 11, it is described later. Figures 13A to 13C It will be described later.

[0058] In the determination unit 321, based on Figure 1 The part that determines whether the seated person is in close contact with the first region 11A1 of the backrest 11A of the seat 11 based on the change in the capacitance of the vibration plate 240 of the vibration generating device 200A shown is an example of a first determination unit. The part that determines whether the seated person is in close contact with the seat portion 11B of the seat 11 based on the change in the capacitance of the vibration plate 240 of the vibration generating device 200B shown in Figure 1 is an example of a second determination unit. The part that determines whether the seated person is in close contact with the second region 11A2 of the backrest 11A of the seat 11 based on the change in the capacitance of the vibration plate 240 of the vibration generating device 200C shown in Figure 1 is an example of a third determination unit. In addition, the determination unit 321 may be divided into parts corresponding to the vibration generating devices 200A, 200B, and 200C and configured as different determination units.

[0059] Based on the determination result of the determination unit 321, the control unit 322 performs drive control of the vibration generation device 200. The part in the control unit 322 that performs drive control of the vibration generation device 200A is an example of the first control unit, the part that performs drive control of the vibration generation device 200B is an example of the second control unit, and the part that performs drive control of the vibration generation device 200C is an example of the third control unit. The parts that perform drive control of the vibration generation devices 200A, 200B, and 200C are included in one control unit 322 and can refer to each other's data. If they can refer to each other's data, control using the determination result regarding other types of vibration generation devices 200 can be performed, etc.

[0060] Alternatively, the control unit 322 may be divided into parts corresponding to the vibration generation devices 200A, 200B, and 200C and configured as different control units. In this case, a structure in which different control units 322 can refer to each other's data may also be formed. This is because control using the determination result regarding other types of vibration generation devices 200 can be performed, etc. Additionally, regarding the specific control content of the control unit 322, it is described Figures 13A to 13C later.

[0061] The memory 323 stores programs, data, etc. required for control in the determination unit 321 and the control unit 322.

[0062] The ECU 12 is, as an example, an ECU that controls the autonomous driving of the vehicle 10. Additionally, the form in which the ECU 12 is an ECU that controls autonomous driving is described here, but the ECU 12 may also be an ECU other than the one that controls autonomous driving. Furthermore, the controller 320 may also be included in the ECU 12.

[0063] Next, the vibration generation device 200 will be described. Figure 3 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5 are diagrams showing the structure of the vibration generation device 200. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view, Figure 4 is a top view, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the Figure 4 I-I line in. Additionally, for the directions in each figure, let X1 be left, X2 be right, Y1 be front, Y2 be rear, Z1 be up, and Z2 be down.

[0064] As Figure 3 、 Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the vibration generating device 200 includes a lower housing 210, an actuator 220, an upper housing 230, and a diaphragm 240. The lower housing 210 and the upper housing 230 are contained in a housing 260. The lower housing 210 has a disk-shaped bottom plate 211 and a cylindrical side plate 212 extending upward from the edge of the bottom plate 211. The actuator 220 is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom plate 211 by a double-sided tape 251, for example. The upper housing 230 has an annular bottom plate 231 with an opening 232 formed in the center, and a guiding portion 233 provided at the edge of the bottom plate 231 to guide the diaphragm 240. The diaphragm 240 has a disk shape and is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom plate 231 by an annular double-sided tape 252 inside the guiding portion 233 and is held on the upper housing 230. For example, the upper housing 230 is fixed to the lower housing 210 such that the diaphragm 240 is located above the upper housing 230. Alternatively, the upper housing 230 may be fixed to the lower housing 210 such that the diaphragm 240 is located below the upper housing 230. The upper housing 230 is an example of a holding portion.

[0065] The diaphragm 240 is supported by the housing 260 and generates sound by vibrating in the first direction (Z1 - Z2 direction). The actuator 220 is mounted on the housing 260 to vibrate the housing 260. The actuator 220 vibrates the housing 260 in the first direction at a first frequency f1 and vibrates the housing 260 in a second direction at a second frequency f2 lower than the first frequency f1. For example, the second direction is a direction different from the first direction, and preferably is a direction orthogonal to the first direction (X1 - X2 direction or Y1 - Y2 direction).

[0066] For example, the diaphragm 240 is held on the upper housing 230 of the housing 260. In addition, for example, the diaphragm 240 is made of metal and the housing 260 is made of synthetic resin.

[0067] In the vibration generating device 200, the diaphragm 240 vibrates in the first direction due to the vibration of the housing 260 in the first direction, and the surrounding air vibrates due to the vibration of the diaphragm 240 to generate sound. The first frequency f1 is not particularly limited and can be set, for example, to 200 Hz or more and 6 kHz or less, and particularly preferably in a range that is easily detectable by human hearing, such as 500 Hz or more and 4 kHz or less. Even if the housing 260 vibrates at a frequency within the range that is easily detectable by human hearing, it is difficult for a human to detect it by touch. Therefore, through the vibration in the first direction at the first frequency f1, sound can be presented to a human with substantially no feeling of vibration.

[0068] In addition, the second frequency f2 is not particularly limited. For example, it can be set to 600 Hz or less, and particularly preferably, it is set to a range that is easily detectable by a person through touch, such as 50 Hz or more and 400 Hz or less. Even when the first frequency f1 is 200 Hz or more and 600 Hz or less, it is only necessary that the second frequency f2 is lower than the first frequency f1. There are cases where a person's hearing can detect a sound at a frequency that is easily detectable by touch, but due to the vibration in the second direction, the vibration plate 240 hardly vibrates in the first direction, so it is difficult for the vibration plate 240 to generate sound. Therefore, through the vibration at the second frequency f2 in the second direction, vibration can be presented to a person with substantially no sound being felt.

[0069] Next, an example of the actuator 220 will be described. Figure 6 is a top view showing the structure of the actuator 220, Figure 7 is from Figure 6 a top view after removing the movable yoke and the permanent magnet, Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the actuator 220. Figure 6 Corresponds to a cross-sectional view along the Figure 4 and Figure 5 I-I line in.

[0070] In the actuator 220 of this example, the Z1-Z2 direction is an example of the first direction, and the Y1-Y2 direction is an example of the second direction.

[0071] As Figures 6 to 8 shown, the actuator 220 includes a fixed yoke 110, a movable yoke 120, a first exciting coil 130A, a second exciting coil 130B, a first rubber 140A, a second rubber 140B, and a permanent magnet 160. The fixed yoke 110 has a plate-shaped base portion 111 with a substantially rectangular shape in a top view. The axial directions of the first exciting coil 130A and the second exciting coil 130B are parallel to the Z1-Z2 direction. The movable yoke 120 is an example of the first yoke, the fixed yoke 110 is an example of the second yoke, and the first rubber 140A and the second rubber 140B are examples of elastic support portions.

[0072] The fixed yoke 110 also has a central protruding portion 112 that protrudes upward (on the Z1 side) from the center of the base portion 111, a first side protruding portion 114A that protrudes upward from the end portion (front end portion) on the Y1 side in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 111, and a second side protruding portion 114B that protrudes upward from the end portion (rear end portion) on the Y2 side in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 111. The first side protruding portion 114A and the second side protruding portion 114B are disposed at positions sandwiching the central protruding portion 112 therebetween in the X1-X2 direction. The fixed yoke 110 also has a first iron core 113A that protrudes upward between the central protruding portion 112 and the first side protruding portion 114A of the base portion 111, and a second iron core 113B that protrudes upward between the central protruding portion 112 and the second side protruding portion 114B of the base portion 111. The first exciting coil 130A is wound around the first iron core 113A, and the second exciting coil 130B is wound around the second iron core 113B. A first rubber 140A is provided on the first side protruding portion 114A, and a second rubber 140B is provided on the second side protruding portion 114B. The central protruding portion 112 is an example of the first protruding portion, and the first side protruding portion 114A and the second side protruding portion 114B are examples of the second protruding portion.

[0073] The movable yoke 120 is plate-shaped and has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. The movable yoke 120 contacts the first rubber 140A and the second rubber 140B at the ends in its longitudinal direction. A permanent magnet 160 is mounted on the surface of the movable yoke 120 on the side of the fixed yoke 110. The permanent magnet 160 has a first region 161, a second region 162 located on the Y1 side of the first region 161, and a third region 163 located on the Y2 side of the first region 161. For example, the first region 161 is magnetized to the S pole, and the second region 162 and the third region 163 are magnetized to the N pole. Further, the permanent magnet 160 is mounted substantially at the center of the movable yoke 120 in plan view such that its first region 161 faces the central protrusion 112, the boundary 612 between the first region 161 and the second region 162 faces the first exciting coil 130A, and the boundary 613 between the first region 161 and the third region 163 faces the second exciting coil 130B. In addition, the boundary 612 is located on the Y2 side of the axis of the first exciting coil 130A, and the boundary 613 is located on the Y1 side of the axis of the second exciting coil 130B. That is, the boundary 612 is located on the Y2 side of the center of the first iron core 113A, and the boundary 613 is located on the Y1 side of the center of the second iron core 113B. The permanent magnet 160 magnetizes the fixed yoke 110 and the movable yoke 120, and by magnetic attraction, the movable yoke 120 is urged toward the fixed yoke 110 in the Z1-Z2 direction. Further, by magnetic attraction, both ends of the movable yoke 120 are urged toward the first side protrusion 114A and the second side protrusion 114B in the Y1-Y2 direction, respectively.

[0074] When the frame 260 is vibrated, the actuator 220 is driven so that the directions of the currents flowing through the first exciting coil 130A and the second exciting coil 130B are alternately reversed. That is, by alternately reversing the directions of the currents flowing through the first exciting coil 130A and the second exciting coil 130B, the magnetic poles of the surfaces of the first iron core 113A on the side of the movable yoke 120 and the magnetic poles of the surfaces of the second iron core 113B on the side of the movable yoke 120 are alternately reversed independently of each other. As a result, corresponding to the directions of the currents flowing through the first exciting coil 130A and the second exciting coil 130B, the permanent magnet 160 and the movable yoke 120 reciprocate in the Y1-Y2 direction or the Z1-Z2 direction. The relationship between the direction of the current and the direction of the movement will be described later.

[0075] For example, the first rubber 140A and the second rubber 140B have a rectangular top view shape with the X1 - X2 direction as the longitudinal direction. The first rubber 140A is clamped between the first side protrusion 114A and the movable yoke 120, and the second rubber 140B is clamped between the second side protrusion 114B and the movable yoke 120. That is, the first rubber 140A and the second rubber 140B are sandwiched between the fixed yoke 110 and the movable yoke 120. Therefore, if not deliberately disassembled, the first rubber 140A and the second rubber 140B are held between the fixed yoke 110 and the movable yoke 120. In addition, the first rubber 140A can be fixed to the upper surface of the first side protrusion 114A or the lower surface of the movable yoke 120 or both of them, and the second rubber 140B can be fixed to the upper surface of the second side protrusion 114B or the lower surface of the movable yoke 120 or both of them.

[0076] Here, the relationship between the direction of the current and the direction of the movement will be described. The total number of combinations of the direction of the current flowing in the first excitation coil 130A and the direction of the current flowing in the second excitation coil 130B is four.

[0077] In the first combination, when viewed from the Z1 side, the current flows counterclockwise (CCW) in the first excitation coil 130A and the second excitation coil 130B. Figure 9 It is a diagram showing the relationship between the direction of the current and the direction of the movement in the first combination. In the first combination, as Figure 9 shown, the magnetic pole of the surface of the first iron core 113A on the side of the movable yoke 120 is the N pole, and the magnetic pole of the surface of the second iron core 113B on the side of the movable yoke 120 is also the N pole. On the other hand, the magnetic poles of the surfaces of the central protrusion 112, the first side protrusion 114A, and the second side protrusion 114B on the side of the movable yoke 120 are the S poles. As a result, a repulsive force acts between the central protrusion 112 and the first region 161, a repulsive force acts between the first iron core 113A and the second region 162, and a repulsive force acts between the second iron core 113B and the third region 163. Thus, a force 190U toward Z1 acts on the movable yoke 120.

[0078] In the second combination, when viewed from the Z1 side, the current flows clockwise (CW) in the first excitation coil 130A and the second excitation coil 130B. Figure 10 It is a diagram showing the relationship between the direction of the current and the direction of the movement in the second combination. In the second combination, as Figure 10As shown, the magnetic pole of the surface on the movable yoke 120 side of the first iron core 113A is the S pole, and the magnetic pole of the surface on the movable yoke 120 side of the second iron core 113B is also the S pole. On the other hand, the magnetic poles of the surfaces on the movable yoke 120 side of the central protrusion 112, the first side protrusion 114A, and the second side protrusion 114B are the N poles. As a result, an attractive force acts between the central protrusion 112 and the first region 161, an attractive force acts between the first iron core 113A and the second region 162, and an attractive force acts between the second iron core 113B and the third region 163. Therefore, a force 190D acting in the direction of Z2 acts on the movable yoke 120.

[0079] Therefore, by repeating the first combination and the second combination in such a way that currents flow in the same direction in the first excitation coil 130A and the second excitation coil 130B, the movable yoke 120 reciprocates in the Z1 - Z2 direction. That is, by energizing the first excitation coil 130A and the second excitation coil 130B, the movable yoke 120 vibrates in the Z1 - Z2 direction with the position in the initial state as the neutral position. As a result, the actuator 220 vibrates as a whole in the Z1 - Z2 direction.

[0080] In the third combination, when viewed from the Z1 side, a current flows counterclockwise (CCW) in the first excitation coil 130A and a current flows clockwise (CW) in the second excitation coil 130B. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the direction of the current in the third combination and the direction of movement. In the third combination, as Figure 11 shown, the magnetic pole of the surface on the movable yoke 120 side of the first iron core 113A is the N pole, and the magnetic pole of the surface on the movable yoke 120 side of the second iron core 113B is the S pole. In addition, the magnetic pole of the surface on the movable yoke 120 side of the first side protrusion 114A is the S pole, and the magnetic pole of the surface on the movable yoke 120 side of the second side protrusion 114B is the N pole. As a result, an attractive force acts between the first side protrusion 114A and the second region 162, an attractive force acts between the first iron core 113A and the first region 161, a repulsive force acts between the second iron core 113B and the first region 161, and a repulsive force acts between the second side protrusion 114B and the third region 163. Therefore, a force 190L acting in the direction of Y1 acts on the movable yoke 120.

[0081] In the fourth combination, when viewed from the Z1 side, a current flows clockwise (CW) in the first excitation coil 130A and a current flows counterclockwise (CCW) in the second excitation coil 130B. Figure 12 is a diagram showing the relationship between the direction of the current in the fourth combination and the direction of movement. In the fourth combination, as Figure 12As shown, the magnetic pole of the surface on the movable yoke 120 side of the first iron core 113A is the S pole, and the magnetic pole of the surface on the movable yoke 120 side of the second iron core 113B is the N pole. In addition, the magnetic pole of the surface on the movable yoke 120 side of the first side protrusion 114A is the N pole, and the magnetic pole of the surface on the movable yoke 120 side of the second side protrusion 114B is the S pole. As a result, a repulsive force acts between the first side protrusion 114A and the second region 162, a repulsive force acts between the first iron core 113A and the first region 161, an attractive force acts between the second iron core 113B and the first region 161, and an attractive force acts between the second side protrusion 114B and the third region 163. Thus, a force 190R acting toward Y2 acts on the movable yoke 120.

[0082] Thus, by repeating the third combination and the fourth combination in such a way that currents flowing in opposite directions flow through the first excitation coil 130A and the second excitation coil 130B, the movable yoke 120 reciprocates in the Y1 - Y2 direction. That is, by energizing the first excitation coil 130A and the second excitation coil 130B, the movable yoke 120 vibrates in the Y1 - Y2 direction with the position in the initial state as the neutral position. Thereby, the actuator 220 vibrates as a whole in the Y1 - Y2 direction.

[0083] Such an actuator 220 can be used, for example, by mounting the surface on the Z2 side of the fixed yoke 110 on the bottom plate 211 of the housing 260. By vibrating the actuator 220 in the Z1 - Z2 direction, the housing 260 vibrates in the Z1 - Z2 direction, and accordingly, the diaphragm 240 vibrates in the Z1 - Z2 direction. Therefore, the surrounding air is vibrated by the diaphragm 240 to generate sound. In addition, by vibrating the actuator 220 in the Y1 - Y2 direction, the housing 260 vibrates in the Y1 - Y2 direction, so that vibration can be presented to the seated person via the seat 11.

[0084] Figure 13A 、 Figure 13B 、 Figure 13C are diagrams for explaining the non-contact state, the close contact state, and the contact state, respectively. In Figure 13A 、 Figure 13B 、 Figure 13C the non-contact state, the close contact state, and the contact state are shown respectively. As in Figure 13AAs shown, the non-contact state is a state in which the seated person 1 (human body) does not contact the surface of the seat 11 (seat fabric 11C). The capacitance value in the state where no one is seated on the seat 11 is smaller than the state where the human body is close to the seat 11 and the state where the seated person is on the seat 11. Therefore, the capacitance threshold TH1 in the state where no one is seated on the seat 11 is stored in the memory 323 in advance, and as long as the specified notification condition is satisfied, when the capacitance of the diaphragm 240 is below the threshold TH1, the determination unit 321 can determine it as the non-contact state.

[0085] In addition, as Figure 13B shown, the close contact state is a state in which the body of the seated person 1 presses against the seat 11. More specifically, it is a state in which the seated person is in close contact with the seat 11 and the seat 11 is elastically deformed to such an extent that the vibration generated by the vibration generating device 200 is transmitted to the seated person. It can be imagined that if the user is seated on the seat 11, the human body is in close contact with the diaphragm 240 of the vibration generating device 200B of the seat portion 11B. In addition, in the vibration generating device 200A of the backrest 11A, the capacitance of the diaphragm 240 is different between the state where the human body leans on the backrest 11A and the state where the back is empty.

[0086] Therefore, when the determination unit 321 determines it as the close contact state, the following distances D1 and D2 are used. The distance D1 is an example of the first distance. As Figure 13A shown, it is the distance from the surface of the diaphragm 240 to the surface of the seat 11 in the state where no one is seated. In addition, the distance D2 is an example of the second distance and is shorter than the distance D1. The distance D2 is as Figure 13B shown, it is the distance from the surface of the diaphragm 240 to the surface of the seat 11 when the seated person is on the seat 11. In the close contact state, the distance between the surface of the seat 11 and the diaphragm 240 is shorter than the distance in the non-contact state, for example Figure 13C shown, shorter than the state where the human body contacts the surface of the seat 11 but is not in close contact (contact state). Therefore, the capacitance of the diaphragm 240 in the close contact state becomes larger than the capacitance in the non-contact state and the contact state. As long as the specified notification condition is satisfied, when the capacitance of the diaphragm 240 is above the threshold TH2 indicating the close contact state, the determination unit 321 can determine it as the close contact state.

[0087] In addition, the contact state is as Figure 13CThe state where the human body is in surface contact with the seat 11 but not in close contact as shown. The distance D between the surface of the seat 11 and the surface of the diaphragm 240 in the contact state is longer than D2. Therefore, as long as the specified notification conditions are met, when the capacitance of the diaphragm 240 is greater than the capacitance threshold TH1 and less than the threshold TH2, the determination unit 321 can determine that it is in the contact state. In addition, in order to determine the close contact state and the contact state, it is not limited to the method of determining based on the capacitance of the diaphragm 240. It can also be determined based on the value calculated from the pressure obtained by the pressure sensor and the elastic modulus of the backrest 11A, etc., and other sensors can also be used.

[0088] Figures 14A to 14C FIG. is for explaining the generation of vibration or sound by the vibration generating device 200. Figure 14A 、 Figure 14B 、 Figure 14C Respectively represent the driving states of the vibration generating device 200 in the non-contact state, the close contact state, and the contact state.

[0089] As Figure 14A shown, in the non-contact state, the control unit 322 causes the vibration generating device 200 to generate a sound with a relatively weak output level. This is because, in the non-contact state, since vibration cannot be transmitted to the user, and in addition, the human body is not in contact with the surface of the seat 11 and the human body does not cover the diaphragm 240, information can be transmitted with a sound with a relatively weak output level.

[0090] As Figure 14B shown, in the close contact state, the control unit 322 causes the vibration generating device 200 to generate vibration. This is because, in the close contact state, the human body is in close contact with the surface of the seat 11, so information can be transmitted with vibration.

[0091] As Figure 14C shown, in the contact state, the control unit 322 causes the vibration generating device 200 to generate a sound with a relatively strong output level (a louder sound). This is because, in the contact state, the human body is not in close contact with the surface of the seat 11, so it is difficult to transmit information through vibration. In addition, since the human body covers the diaphragm 240 and it is difficult to transmit sound, compared with the non-contact state, the output level of the sound is increased, and information can be easily transmitted with a stronger sound (a louder sound).

[0092] When the specified notification conditions are met, the determination unit 321 independently determines for each of all the vibration generating devices 200 whether it is in the non-contact state, the close contact state, or the contact state. As long as the control unit 322 causes all the vibration generating devices 200 to independently generate a sound with a relatively weak output level, generate vibration, and generate a sound with a relatively strong output level according to the determination results.

[0093] Figure 15 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing executed by the control unit 322. At the start of the processing, the control unit 322 determines whether a prescribed notification condition is satisfied (step S1). The satisfaction of the prescribed notification condition means that the control unit 322 receives a notification from the ECU 12 indicating that the prescribed notification condition is satisfied.

[0094] The control unit 322 causes the determination unit 321 to determine the state based on the electrostatic capacitance of the diaphragm 240 (step S2). As a result, the determination unit 321 determines whether it is in a contact state, a close contact state, or a contact state based on the electrostatic capacitance of the diaphragm 240, and notifies the determination result to the control unit 322.

[0095] The control unit 322 determines whether the determination result notified from the determination unit 321 is the close contact state (step S3). If the control unit 322 determines that the determination result is the close contact state (S3: Yes), it causes the vibration generating device 200 to generate vibration (step S4).

[0096] In addition, if the control unit 322 determines in step S3 that the determination result is not the close contact state (S3: No), it determines whether it is the contact state (step S5). If the control unit 322 determines that the determination result is the contact state (S5: Yes), it causes the vibration generating device 200 to generate a louder sound (step S6).

[0097] In addition, if the control unit 322 determines in step S5 that the determination result is not the contact state (S5: No), it causes the vibration generating device 200 to generate a weaker sound (step S7). Thus, a series of processing ends. The control unit 322 performs the above-described processing for each of all the vibration generating devices 200.

[0098] In addition, the control unit 322 can also perform the following control. Determining the above three states is particularly effective for the vibration generating devices 200A and 200C near the backrest 11A. There are cases where the seated person leans strongly against the backrest 11A, cases where the seated person leans lightly against the backrest 11A, and cases where the seated person does not lean against the backrest 11A. In the case of strongly leaning against the backrest 11A, it is the close contact state, in the case of lightly leaning against the backrest 11A, it is the contact state, and in the case of not leaning against the backrest 11A, it is the non-contact state. Thus, regarding the backrest 11A, since the three states of non-contact state, close contact state, and contact state are likely to occur, it is effective to distinguish and determine the three states and drive the vibration generating devices 200A and 200C according to the determination result.

[0099] In addition, the vibration generating device 200B disposed in the seat part 11B may not necessarily determine three states, and may be configured to determine only whether it is in a close contact state. Since the seat part 11B is likely to have two states, i.e., a sitting state and a non-sitting state, the control unit 322 may cause the vibration generating device 200B to generate sound if it is not in a close contact state, and cause the vibration generating device 200B to generate vibration if it is in a close contact state. That is, the vibration generating device 200B does not need to determine the contact state and the non-contact state. If the vibration generating device 200B disposed in the seat part 11B is configured such that the determination unit 321 only determines whether it is in a close contact state, the determination process can be simplified. In addition, the vibration generating device 200B may be configured to determine whether it is in a contact state including a close contact state or a non-contact state instead of determining whether it is in a close contact state.

[0100] In addition, since a plurality of vibration generating devices 200 are included, data such as the following may be included in the notification received from the ECU 12 to perform control to let the seated person know the direction. For example, when a lane departure occurs and the left side of the vehicle crosses the lane line, the vibration generating devices 200A, 200B, and 200C provided on the left side of the seat 11 may be driven to generate vibration or sound, so that the seated person knows that a lane departure to the left has occurred. In this case, if the vibration generating device 200 in the vibration generating devices 200A, 200B, and 200C that is in close contact with the seated person's body generates vibration and the vibration generating device 200 in contact with the seated person's body generates sound, a directional notification can be achieved regardless of the seated person's posture.

[0101] In addition, six vibration generating devices 200A are disposed in the middle and the lowermost part (lower part) of the backrest 11A, and three vibration generating devices 200C are disposed in the uppermost part (upper part). If the back of the seated person is in close contact with the upper part of the backrest 11A, even if sound is generated from the vibration generating device 200A in the lower part, it may be blocked by the back and not reach the ears of the seated person. Therefore, when the determination unit 321 determines the close contact state based on the capacitance of the vibration plate 240 of the vibration generating device 200C, the control unit 322 may not cause the vibration generating device 200A to generate sound regardless of the determination result based on the capacitance of the vibration plate 240 of the vibration generating device 200A. By not causing the vibration generating device 200A to generate sound, power consumption can be reduced.

[0102] As described above, the vibration generating device 200 can present vibration or sound at the position where the approach of the seated person is detected by the vibrating plate 240. Accordingly, a vehicle seat system 300A, a vehicle system 300, and a vibration generating device 200 that can present vibration or sound at the detected position can be provided. In addition, since the vibrating plate 240 that generates sound is used as a detection electrode of the capacitance sensor, space saving can be achieved.

[0103] In addition, the above description has been made on the form in which the actuator 220 is not mounted on the vibrating plate 240 but only on the housing 260, but the actuator 220 may be mounted on both the vibrating plate 240 and the housing 260. In this case, the vibrating plate 240 vibrates directly by the vibration of the actuator 220, and thus sound can be generated. In addition, the actuator 220 may be mounted only on the vibrating plate 240. In this case, the vibrating plate 240 and the housing 260 vibrate by the vibration of the actuator 220, and vibration can be presented to the seated person via the seat 11.

[0104] In addition, the above description has been made on the manner in which the cover 310 is mounted on the vibration generating device 200, but the cover 310 may not be mounted. Figure 16A FIG. is a diagram showing a vibration generating device 200D which is a modification of the embodiment. Figure 16B FIG. is a diagram showing a vibration generating device 200E which is a modification of the embodiment. Figure 16A In the shown vibration generating device 200D, the vibrating plate 240 is provided outside the upper surface of the housing 260. The vibration generating device 200D having such a structure is a structure that allows the body of the seated person to contact the vibrating plate 240 via the seat fabric 11C. Since the sound quality may change when the body of the seated person is in contact with the vibrating plate 240, it is suitable for a usage mode in which the vibration generating device 200D generates vibration when the body of the seated person is in contact with the vibrating plate 240.

[0105] Figure 16B In the shown vibration generating device 200E, the vibrating plate 240 is provided inside the upper surface of the housing 260, and the surface of the vibrating plate 240 is offset inward of the housing 260 from the upper surface of the housing 260. The vibration generating device 200E having such a structure is a structure in which the body of the seated person is less likely to contact the vibrating plate 240 via the seat fabric 11C. Since the vibrating plate 240 is offset by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the housing 260, it is a structure for detecting capacitance without contact.

[0106] In addition, the following other forms are disclosed. Figure 17A FIG. is a diagram showing a vibration generating device 200M1. Figure 17B FIG. is a diagram showing a vibration generating device 200M2. In Figure 17A and Figure 17BAmong them, with Figure 2 Similarly, it represents both the top view structure and the cross-sectional structure of the vibration generating devices 200M1 and 200M2 respectively.

[0107] Figure 17A The vibration generating device 200M1 shown includes an actuator 220, a diaphragm 240M, a housing 260A, and a detection electrode 280A. The actuator 220 is Figure 2 The actuator 220 shown is the same, but is installed on the top surface inside the housing 260. The diaphragm 240M is installed at an opening provided on the lower surface of the housing 260A to generate sound. Since the diaphragm 240M does not function as a detection electrode of an electrostatic capacitance sensor, it may not include a conductor and may be made of, for example, resin or the like. The housing 260A has an opening on the lower surface for setting the diaphragm 240M and no opening on the upper surface, which is Figure 2 different from the housing 260 shown, while the other structures are the same.

[0108] The detection electrode 280A is a detection electrode of a sensor such as an electrostatic capacitance sensor and can detect the electrostatic capacitance with a human body in, for example, a self-capacitance manner. The detection electrode 280A is in a disc shape and is provided on the upper surface of the housing 260A. The determination unit 321 of the controller 320 can determine the close state, contact state, and non-contact state based on the electrostatic capacitance of the detection electrode 280A. In addition, the sensor is not limited to an electrostatic capacitance sensor, and instead of the detection electrode 280A, for example, a resistive pressure sensor or the like can be used to obtain physical quantities such as pressure to detect the approach of the seated person. In this case, the determination unit 321 can also determine the close state, contact state, and non-contact state based on the data of the physical quantity output from the sensor.

[0109] Figure 17B The vibration generating device 200M2 shown includes an actuator 220, a diaphragm 240M, a housing 260, and a detection electrode 280B. The actuator 220 is Figure 2 The actuator 220 shown is the same and is provided at the bottom inside the housing 260. The diaphragm 240M is installed at an opening provided on the upper surface of the housing 260 to generate sound. Since the diaphragm 240M does not function as a detection electrode of an electrostatic capacitance sensor, it may not include a conductor and may be made of, for example, resin or the like. The housing 260 is Figure 2 the same as the housing 260 shown.

[0110] The detection electrode 280B is a detection electrode of a sensor such as an electrostatic capacitance sensor, and can detect the electrostatic capacitance with respect to a human body in, for example, a self-capacitance method. The detection electrode 280B has an annular shape and is provided on the upper surface of the housing 260. The upper surface of the diaphragm 240M is exposed from the central opening of the annular detection electrode 280B. The determination unit 321 of the controller 320 can determine the close contact state, the contact state, and the non-contact state based on the electrostatic capacitance of the detection electrode 280B. In addition, the sensor is not limited to an electrostatic capacitance sensor, and instead of the detection electrode 280B, for example, a resistive pressure sensor or the like can be used to obtain a physical quantity such as pressure, thereby detecting the approach of the seated person. In this case, the determination unit 321 can also determine the close contact state, the contact state, and the non-contact state based on the data of the physical quantity output from the sensor.

[0111] Figure 18A It is a diagram showing the vibration generating device 200M3. Figure 18B It is a diagram showing the vibration generating device 200M4. Figure 18C It is a diagram showing the vibration generating device 200M5. Figure 18A The vibration generating device 200M3 shown has a structure that moves Figure 17B the detection electrode 280B of the vibration generating device 200M2 shown from the upper surface of the housing 260 to the inner top surface of the housing 260. In such a vibration generating device 200M3, a structure can be formed in which the detection electrode 280B is less likely to come into direct contact with the seat fabric 11C or the human body.

[0112] Figure 18B The vibration generating device 200M4 shown replaces Figure 17B the detection electrode 280B of the vibration generating device 200M2 shown and includes an optical sensor 280C. The optical sensor 280C is, for example, an IR (infrared) sensor and has a light emitting part and a light receiving part. The optical sensor 280C is provided on the upper surface of the housing 260, and a hole 11C1 is provided in the seat fabric 11C in accordance with the position of the optical sensor 280C. The optical sensor 280C emits infrared rays from the light emitting part through the hole 11C1, and the reflected wave is received by the light receiving part, and a signal corresponding to the received light amount is output to the determination unit 321.

[0113] When the amount of received light indicated by the signal input from the optical sensor 280C is the amount of received light reflected from a position farther away than the surface of the seat fabric 11C in the non-seated state, the determination unit 321 determines that it is in a non-contact state. In addition, when the amount of received light indicated by the signal input from the optical sensor 280C is the amount of received light reflected from the position of the surface of the seat fabric 11C in the non-seated state, the determination unit 321 determines that it is in a contact state. In addition, when the amount of received light indicated by the signal input from the optical sensor 280C is the amount of received light reflected from a position closer to the front than the position of the surface of the seat fabric 11C in the non-seated state, the determination unit 321 determines that it is in a close contact state. In addition, the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit may be of an integrated type or may be provided separately.

[0114] Figure 18C The vibration generating device 200M5 shown has Figure 18B a structure in which the optical sensor 280C of the vibration generating device 200M4 shown is provided inside the housing 260B. The housing 260B of the vibration generating device 200M5 has an opening 260B1 on the side of the opening for the vibration plate 240 on the upper surface. The opening 260B1 is provided to allow the infrared rays of the optical sensor 280C to pass through. Such a vibration generating device 200M5 can also be used as an alternative to the vibration generating device 200M4.

[0115] In addition, the vibration generating devices 200M1 to 200M5 shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 may not include the vibration plate 240. A notification sound or the like may be generated from a speaker (sound generating unit) in the interior of the vehicle 10. In addition, the vibration generating devices 200M1 to 200M3 may not include the detection electrodes 280A and 280B, but detection electrodes of a sensor such as a capacitance sensor separately provided in the vehicle 10 may be provided instead. Similarly, the vibration generating devices 200M4 and 200M5 may not include the optical sensor 280C, but electrodes of a capacitance sensor separately provided in the vehicle 10 may be provided instead. In these cases, the state of the seated person can be determined regardless of the posture of the seated person and the positional relationship between the vibration generating devices 200M1 to M5 and the seated person.

[0116] As described above, the vehicle system and the vibration generating device according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments, and various modifications or changes can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0117] For example, in the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the controller 320 is arranged inside the instrument panel. However, the position where the controller 320 is arranged is not limited. For example, the controller 320 may also be built in the seat 11. In addition, it is not limited to arranging the controller 320 outside the vibration generating device 200, and a part or all of the controller 320 may be arranged inside the vibration generating device 200.

[0118] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example is shown in which sound is generated from the diaphragm 240 by vibrating the actuator 220 in the first direction, and vibration is presented to the seated person via the housing 260 and the seat 11 by vibrating the actuator 220 in the second direction. However, it may also be configured such that the actuator 220 vibrates only in one direction, and the generation of sound and the presentation of vibration are switched by switching the vibration frequency. In this case, an actuator that can vibrate only along one direction may be used instead of the actuator 220.

[0119] This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-120777 filed on July 14, 2020, and the entire content thereof is incorporated herein by reference.

[0120] Description of reference numerals

[0121] 10 Vehicle

[0122] 11 Seat

[0123] 11A Backrest

[0124] 11A1 First region

[0125] 11A2 Second region

[0126] 11B Seat portion

[0127] 11C Seat fabric

[0128] 110 Fixed yoke

[0129] 111 Base

[0130] 112 Central protrusion

[0131] 113A First iron core

[0132] 113B Second iron core

[0133] 114A First lateral protrusion

[0134] 114B Second lateral protrusion

[0135] 120 Movable yoke

[0136] 130A First excitation coil

[0137] 130B Second excitation coil

[0138] 140A First rubber

[0139] 140B Second rubber

[0140] 160 Permanent magnet

[0141] 200, 200A, 200B, 200C Vibration generating device

[0142] 210 Lower housing

[0143] 220 Actuator

[0144] 230 Upper housing

[0145] 240, 240M Diaphragm

[0146] 260, 260A, 260B Frame

[0147] 300 Vehicle system

[0148] 300A Vehicle seat system

[0149] 320 Controller

[0150] 321 Judgment unit

[0151] 322 Control unit

Claims

1. A vehicle system, comprising: a seat of the vehicle; and a first vibration generating device provided on the seat, wherein the first vibration generating device has: a first housing; a first diaphragm supported by the first housing; a first actuator mounted on at least one of the first housing and the first diaphragm; and a first sensor having a first detection electrode for detecting the approach of a seated person to the first detection electrode, wherein the first diaphragm and the first detection electrode are the same component.

2. The vehicle system according to claim 1, further comprising a first determination unit for determining whether the seated person is in close contact with the seat based on the output of the first sensor.

3. The vehicle system according to claim 2, wherein the first determination unit determines that the seated person is in close contact with the seat when it detects, based on the output of the first sensor, that the seated person is at a position within a predetermined distance from the first sensor.

4. The vehicle system according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising a first control unit, which, when a predetermined notification condition is satisfied, causes the seat to vibrate by vibrating the first vibration generating device when the first determination unit determines that the seated person is in close contact with the seat, and causes the first vibration generating device to generate a sound when the first determination unit determines that the seated person is not in close contact with the seat.

5. The vehicle system according to claim 4, wherein the first housing vibrates in response to the vibration of the first actuator to vibrate the seat, and the first diaphragm vibrates in response to the vibration of the first actuator to generate a sound.

6. The vehicle system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the first determination unit further determines the contact state in which the seated person is not in close contact with the surface of the seat but is in contact with the surface, and the non-contact state in which the seated person is not in contact with the surface, and the first control unit, when the predetermined notification condition is satisfied, causes the first vibration generating device to generate a louder sound when the first determination unit determines the contact state than when it determines the non-contact state.

7. The vehicle system according to claim 6, further comprising a second vibration generating device provided on the seat portion of the seat, wherein the first vibration generating device is provided on the backrest of the seat, and the second vibration generating device has: a second housing; a second diaphragm supported by the second housing; A second actuator, which is mounted on at least one of the second housing and the second diaphragm; and a second sensor having a second detection electrode for detecting the approach of the seated person to the second detection electrode, wherein the vehicle system further comprises: a second determination unit for determining whether the seated person is in close contact with the seat portion based on the output of the second sensor; and a second control unit, which, when the predetermined notification condition is satisfied, causes the seat portion to vibrate by vibrating the second vibration generating device when the second determination unit determines that the seated person is in close contact with the seat portion, and causes the second vibration generating device to generate a sound when the second determination unit determines that the seated person is not in close contact with the seat portion.

8. The vehicle system according to claim 7, The second determination unit only determines whether the seated person is in close contact with the seat part.

9. The vehicle system according to any one of claims 2 to 8, including a plurality of the first vibration generating devices, wherein the first determination unit determines whether the seated person is in close contact with each position of the seat on which the plurality of the first vibration generating devices are provided.

10. The vehicle system according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the first vibration generating device is provided in a first area of the backrest of the seat, the vehicle system further includes a third vibration generating device provided in a second area above the first area of the backrest, the third vibration generating device having: a third housing; a third diaphragm supported by the third housing; A third actuator, mounted on at least one of the third housing and the third diaphragm; and a third sensor having a third detection electrode for detecting the approach of the seated person to the third detection electrode, the vehicle system further including: a third determination unit that determines whether the seated person is in close contact with the second area of the backrest based on the output of the third sensor; and a third control unit that, when the specified notification condition is satisfied and the third determination unit determines that the seated person is in close contact with the second area of the backrest, vibrates the seat by vibrating the third vibration generating device regardless of the determination result of the first determination unit, and the first control unit does not cause the first vibration generating device to generate sound.

11. A vibration generating device provided on a seat of a vehicle, having: a housing; a diaphragm supported by the housing; an actuator mounted on at least one of the housing and the diaphragm; and a sensor having a detection electrode for detecting the approach to the detection electrode, wherein the diaphragm and the detection electrode are the same component.

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